A memorial service for Don will take place Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Fox Funeral Home. A visitation will be held one hour prior to service time. Burial will follow in Williams Cemetery with full military honors. Memorial contributions may be made to Williams Cemetery.
Don was born on May 20, 1935 in Fisk, Missouri to Les and Noma Whitby. He was the middle child of twelve children. In 1954 Don married Amy Mooney, and to this union there were four children born, Debbie, Steve, Terry, and Karen. They divorced in 1976. Don married Wilodean Long in 1989 where he had two stepsons, Alan Long and family, and Darrell Long and family. Don is survived by his children, Debbie (Alan) Harris of Statesville, NC, Steve (Manny) Whitby of Phoenix, AZ, Karen Miller of Licking, MO; nine grandkids, Angel Belcher, Jamie Wood, Matthew (Kelly) Groh, Tessa (Eric) Radmer, Anthony (Melissa) Whitby, Mike (Evelyn) Espino, Ben (Priscilla) Espino, Scott Miller, Casidy (Bryan Spence) Miller, nineteen great-grandkids, as well as lot of nieces and nephews. Don is preceded in death by his parents; all of his siblings; daughter, Terry Whitby; son-in-law, Jimmy Miller; wife, Wilodean Whitby; grandson-in-law, Gary Belcher; three nieces, and one nephew. Don joined the Army in 1952. His duty assignment was in Company C 13TH Engineer Battalion. He fought in the Korean War, where he was awarded the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars, the United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Meritorious Unit Medal, and Citation and Good Conduct Medal. Don also served as Chaplain for the VFW in Coweta, Oklahoma for many years.
Don had several occupations throughout his life, he worked for a lumber yard and for Pepsi-Cola while living in Kansas City, Kansas. After moving to Licking, Missouri in 1967, he had jobs in the sawmill and was a grocery store manager, pastor, sheriff’s deputy, and EMS in Winona and West Plains. When he moved to Oklahoma, he worked in a marble factory that his brother Bob owned. He also worked for Broken Arrow School District, and he did maintenance on the apartment complex where he and Wilodean lived. He was also a deputy sheriff for Wagner County. His favorite job was working for Pepsi-Cola in Kansas City, Kansas where he won salesman of the year.
If you knew Don, you knew that he loved to tell stories about growing up here in Licking. You may have heard them time and time again, but he so much enjoyed telling them. He loved telling people about how it was as a kid here growing up. Don is loved and will be missed by many. His favorite thing to say was always “I remember when”.
